1959 in film
The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards. Events * June 4 - The Three Stooges release their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters. * September 18 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx marries his second wife, Barbara Blakely. * September 30 - The film of Mise Éire, made by George Morrison for Gael Linn, is premiered to close the Cork Film Festival, the first feature-length Irish language film. * November 18 - William Wyler's film Ben-Hur premieres at Loews Theater in New York City. * Sammy Davis, Jr. and May Britt start dating. Top-grossing films (U.S.) (*) After theatrical re-issue(s) Awards Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival): :Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro), directed by Marcel Camus, France Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival): :Il Generale della Rovere (General della Rovere), directed by Roberto Rossellini, Italy / France :La grande guerra (The Great War), directed by Mario Monicelli, Italy / France Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival): :Les Cousins (The Cousins), directed by Claude Chabrol, France Notable films released in 1959 Action #The Wreck of the Mary Deare #Shake Hands with the Devil #Samurai Saga #Samurai Vendetta #The Siege of Pinchgut #John Paul Jones Births *January 5 – Clancy Brown, American actor & voice actor *January 17 - Momoe Yamaguchi, former Japanese actress & singer *January 22 - Linda Blair, American actress *February 2 - Laine Mägi, Estonian actress & dancer *February 4 - Pamelyn Ferdin, American actress *February 22 - Kyle MacLachlan, American actor *March 5 - Darío Grandinetti, Argentinian actor *March 6 - Tom Arnold, American actor & comedian *March 7 - Donna Murphy, actress & singer *March 8 - Aidan Quinn, Irish/American actor *March 15 - Renny Harlin, Finnish director & producer *March 18 **Irene Cara, American actress & singer **Luc Besson, French director & producer *March 22 - Matthew Modine, American actor *March 23 - Catherine Keener, American actress *April 15 - Emma Thompson, English actress *April 17 - Sean Bean, English actor *April 20 - Clint Howard, American actor *June 11 - Hugh Laurie, English actor *June 22 - Wayne Federman, American actor & comedian *June 30 - Vincent D'Onofrio, American actor *July 26 - Kevin Spacey, American actor *August 10 - Rosanna Arquette, American actress *August 14 - Marcia Gay Harden, American actress *August 29 - Rebecca De Mornay, American actress *September 23 - Jason Alexander, American actor *October 21 - Ken Watanabe, Japanese actor *November 14 - Paul McGann, British actor *November 19 - Allison Janney, American actress *November 28 - Judd Nelson, American actor *December 13 - Johnny Whitaker, American actor *December 29 - Patricia Clarkson, American actress *December 31 - Val Kilmer, American actor Deaths *January 21 - Cecil B. DeMille, 77, American director and producer, The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Show on Earth *February 1 - Madame Sul-Te-Wan, 85, American actress, King of the Zombies, In Old Chicago *February 4 - Una O'Connor, 78, Irish actress, Witness for the Prosecution, The Adventures of Robin Hood *February 5 - Gwili Andre, 51, Danish actress, Secrets of the French Police, No Other Woman *February 20 - George Archainbaud, 68, French director, Thirteen Women, Girls of the Big House *February 22 - Helen Parrish, 34, American actress, Too Many Blondes, X Marks the Spot *March 2 - Eric Blore, 71, British actor, Top Hat, The Lady Eve *March 3 - Lou Costello, 52, American comedian and actor, half of Abbott and Costello comedy team, Africa Screams, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein *March 26 - Raymond Chandler, 70, American author and screenwriter, The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity *March 27 - Grant Withers, 54, American actor, My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache *April 12 - James Gleason, 76, American actor, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, The Bishop's Wife *April 17 - Cecil Cunningham, 70, American actress, The Awful Truth, Monkey Business *April 18 - Irving Cummings, 70, American director, Louisiana Purchase, The Dolly Sisters *May 3 – Troy Sanders, 57, American score arranger and composer, White Christmas, Going My Way *June 4 - Charles Vidor, 58, Hungarian director, Gilda, Love Me or Leave Me *June 16 - George Reeves, 45, American actor, Gone with the Wind, So Proudly We Hail! *June 18 - Ethel Barrymore, 79, American actress, Portrait of Jennie, The Spiral Staircase *August 6 - Preston Sturges, 60, American writer, director, Sullivan's Travels, The Lady Eve *September 6 ** Edmund Gwenn, 81, British actor, Miracle on 34th Street, Mister 880 ** Kay Kendall, 32, British actress, Genevieve, Les Girls *September 11 - Paul Douglas, 52, American actor, A Letter to Three Wives, It Happens Every Spring *September 13 - Adrian, 56, American costume designer, The Wizard of Oz, The Women *September 14 - Wayne Morris, 45, American actor, Kid Galahad, Paths of Glory *September 25 - Helen Broderick, 68, American actress, Top Hat, Swing Time *October 3 - William Bishop, 41, American actor, Harriet Craig, Top Gun *October 7 - Mario Lanza, 38, American singer and actor, The Great Caruso, Winged Victory *October 14 - Errol Flynn, 50, Australian actor, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood *October 21 - Olive Blakeney, 60, American actress, Leave It to Blanche, Don't Get Me Wrong *October 23 - Gerda Lundequist, 88, Swedish actress, Gosta Berlings Saga *October 30 - Noel Francis, 53, American actress, Blonde Crazy, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang *November 7 - Victor McLaglen, 72, British actor, The Quiet Man, Gunga Din *November 20 – Sylvia Lopez, 26, French actress, Hercules Unchained, Son of the Red Corsair *November 21 - Max Baer, 50, American boxer and actor, The Prizefighter and the Lady, The Harder They Fall *November 25 - Gérard Philipe, 36, French actor, Fan-Fan the Tulip, Beauties of the Night *December 22 - Gilda Gray, 58, American actress, Aloma of the South Seas, Cabaret *December 24 - Edmund Goulding, 68, American director, Grand Hotel, The Razor's Edge Film debuts *James Coburn - Ride Lonesome *Mia Farrow - John Paul Jones *Richard Harris - Shake Hands with the Devil *Martin Landau - Pork Chop Hill *Martin Scorsese - Vesuvius VI *George C. Scott - The Hanging Tree *Steven Spielberg - The Lost Guy Category:1959 in film Category:Years in film